#realchicbride Gabriella in Everest by Monique Lhuillier at her Mexico City Wedding

above: Ekaterina (Instagram: @photos_by_Katie)

Tell us your love story! How did you meet and how did you get to a proposal? 
My husband and I have known each other since we were 18. We were good friends throughout our college career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, although it was obvious to everyone that there was a budding crush. We finally started dating when I graduated college in 2017, and it was then that we both knew that we were each others forever. On Valentine's Day of 2022, Juan held out a closed card in each hand; I was to pick one and it would reveal the location of where we would be spending my spring break the following month. He turned my choice card around and we were off Lake Como, Italy. Juan proposed on the second day of this special trip at the beautiful Villa del Balbianello. He had also orchestrated the surprise of having both our families present to witness the engagement, as well as join us for the rest of our trip. It was truly a once in a lifetime memory!

When you started planning your wedding what did you envision? How close did the actual wedding get to that vision? 
I had been following our wedding planner, Jaime Gonzalez (of GONZALEZ + HELFON (Instagram: @gonzalezhelfon)) for a couple of years. It was my DREAM to have him plan our wedding in our venue, Colegio de las Vizcaínas. The venue was established in the 18th century, originally made to educate orphaned girls and widows. It is now a K-12 Preparatory School that offers a historical onsite catholic church and baroque architecture in their arch lined courtyards. I envisioned Jaime enhancing the space with lush greenery, dramatic florals, and antique accents. He did that all and more. He completely transformed the space while staying true to the raw architecture we fell in love with. Our night felt romantic yet formal while also making room for the best party we've ever been to. Once we were on the dancefloor, we never got off, which was definitely a goal of ours. We were feeding off the love and excitement in the room, and it made for a night that was better than we could have ever imagined. 

What were a few things that were important to you as a couple to include (or not include) in the wedding? 
It was extremely important that we honored our families' cultures. I am of Cuban and Lebanese descent, and my Husband and his family are Mexican. All three cultures have strong roots in their traditions and we wanted to include them all throughout our wedding! To do so, we made sure our band was able to perform in three languages: English, Spanish, and Arabic. Eli's Band (Instagram: @elis.band) (www.elisband.com), out of Los Angeles, CA, was able to do this and so much more. They made all of our guests feel included and absolutely brought the party beyond our wildest dreams. We also intertwined our cultures and traditions throughout our ceremony, meals, and all the sweet treats made by the amazing Timbal de Azúcar (Instagram: @timbaldeazucar). 

How did you decide on the location? 
Mexico City is a place my husband and I frequent and absolutely love. The city has a mix of vibrant culture, passionate cuisine, and unmatched hospitality that we couldn't wait to share with our guests. Plus, we had never seen a venue quite like ours and knew we could keep our party going until 5:00am! 

Lighthouse Photocinema (Instagram: @lighthousephotocinema)

Let's talk dress! Give us all the deets! 
It took me 7 months to find my dress! I grew up in Ft. Lauderdale, FL so our first stop on the wedding dress hunt was Chic Parisien. I thought I knew what I wanted, but after seeing different styles I became very conflicted so wanted to continue to look. From there, we looked in boutiques in Houston, Dallas, New York, and even Paris. I tried the Everest Gown in the Monique Lhuillier New York Flagship Store and was just blown away. My mom and sister knew it was the one immediately and I couldn't believe it just yet. When we got home, we asked Chic Parisien if they could order this dress so that I could try it in front of my grandmother before saying yes. They got the sample in July 2024 and once I was back in it, we all agreed it was mine. We also ordered the matching veil and additional material, since we knew we wanted to make a bolero for me to wear during our ceremony.

The alterations team at Chic Parisien was AMAZING. They took my mom and I's idea for my bolero and made it by hand from scratch. They also enhanced my veil to include the florettes around the whole border of the veil. The final outcome was a dream. My wedding dress look was the outcome of the ideas of all the women I love, and that felt so good to carry on wedding day.

How did your family, friends, etc play into your wedding planning and wedding day? 
My husband and I have the most supportive family and friends in the world. Because Juan and I have been together for almost 8 years, our friends and family have truly blended into one. Our parents were involved in so much leading up to the wedding, and my mom walked hand in hand with me through every meeting, decision, trip, etc., so her influence was in every detail. Once wedding weekend arrived, we hosted our bridal party at our rehearsal dinner on Thursday night. During the meal, 12 of our best friends individually shared their toasts and well wishes with us. So it was a night of tears, laughs, and walks down memory lane together. It was the perfect start to what was a weekend of such love and excitement, you could feel it in the air.

On Friday night, we hosted a welcome party at the St. Regis Hotel and got a chance to greet and thank all our guests who had traveled far and wide to be there with us.

Then, Saturday was wedding day: a morning of girls getting ready at the Four Seasons Hotel and boys getting ready at the St. Regis Hotel. We spent our mornings with our bridal party and immediate family as a way to thank them and ground ourselves for the busyness that was to come the rest of the day. We came together at our venue about 2 hours before the ceremony for group pictures so that once the night started, everyone could just enjoy! It took 6 of my bridesmaids to bustle my dress during cocktail hour and from that moment on, our family and friends absolutely brought the party, and didn't stop until 5:00am the next day. 

What's one specific memory you have from your wedding day that you don't think you'll ever forget. 
Definitely what Juan and I call our "walk up". It was after cocktail hour and our guests had been welcomed into our reception space. We had signed our marriage license, I had my dress bustled and taken off my veil and bolero, and we were about to walk into OUR party to greet our guests as husband and wife. We were nervous and excited walking up to the reception space doors, not sharing many words but communicating through squeezing hands. Our names were announced and emotions erupted. We cheered right to the dancefloor, where we then shared our first dance. All nerves drained and the awe that we experienced in those moments didn't leave us for the rest of the night. 

How did you decide on your hair and makeup look? 
I wanted a very classic hair and makeup look that was both dramatic and clean! I knew my dress and accessories would speak for themselves, so I just wanted something that would enhance the look, not compete with it. Plus-- I knew I wouldn't be getting off our dance floor until 5am so wanted a look that would last the test of time. 

Was there one vendor you used that you wish everyone knew about? 
Hands down it was one of our photographers: Ekaterina "Katie" Shcherbakova (Instagram: @photos_by_Katie) (Reviews: https://wezoree.com/vendors/profile/15073-photographers-ekaterina-shcherbakova/). Katie is SUCH a talented photographer-- she is visionary and daring, while also being overly prepared and kind. I don't think there could be a better recipe for the person who is going to be with you through all the emotions of your wedding weekend.  She really allowed me to exhale on my wedding day-- I had complete trust in knowing how beautifully she was going to tell our story. Despite knowing how wonderful she was, our pictures still absolutely blew me away! She captured emotions like I've never seen and she really understood who we are as a couple. Katie was a true gift to my husband and I and I wish everyone could experience her magic!

Where did you go on your honeymoon and what was the best part? 
We flew to Japan two days after our wedding, directly from Mexico City. It was an absolute dream and a trip of a lifetime. We traveled through Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Lake Kawaguchiko for two weeks; we loved every minute of it. The best part was learning about a new culture through their customs, food, and historic monuments. We have a deep appreciation for the Japanese and are already trying to find a time to go back!

Bride: Gabriella Gallo (Instagram: @gabriellagallo_)

Groom: Juan Carlos Villalpando (Instagram: @j_villly)

Date: March 15, 2025

Location: Mexico City, Mexico

Venue: Colegio de las Vizcaínas

Hotel (for getting ready/first look): Four Seasons Mexico City

Dress: Monique Lhuillier Everest Gown

Planner: Jaime Gonzalez of GONZALEZ + HELFON (Instagram: @gonzalezhelfon)

Photographer 1: Ekaterina (Instagram: @photos_by_Katie)

Photographer 2: Lighthouse Photocinema (Instagram: @lighthousephotocinema)

Videographer: Lighthouse Photocinema (Instagram: @lighthousephotocinema)

Hair: Javier Díaz (Instagram: @javierdiaz_hairstyle)

Makeup: Erick Huerta (Instagram: @erickhuertamakeup)

Band: Eli's Band (Instagram: @elis.band)

DJ: Julio Garcia (Instagram: juliogarcia_dj)

Catering: Les Croissants (Instagram: @banqueteslescroissants)

Dessert Bar and Cake: Timbal de Azúcar (Instagram: @timbaldeazucar)